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Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Maps of the Imagination

If you are interested in mapping and the humanities, then Peter Turchi's book Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer is a MUST read! He writes, "The purpose of a story or poem, unlike that of a diary, is not to record our experience but to create a context for, and to lead the reader on, a journey."(12) "A map may be beautiful, but if it doesn't tell us what we want to know, or clearly illustrate what is means to tell us, it's merely a decoration. The writer's obligation is to make a rewarding both the reader's journey and his destination. Each completed work is a benchmark, an indication of how far we've come."(22)